1. Who we are
The Delhi Arbitration Centre ("DAC", "the Centre", "we") is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, administering arbitration, mediation and conciliation since 2011 from its offices at 37/8, Rajpur Road, Civil Lines, Tis Hazari, Delhi – 110054. For the purposes of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act"), DAC is the data fiduciary in respect of the personal data described in this Policy. This Policy explains what personal data we collect through this website and in the course of our services, why we collect it, how we protect it, and the rights you hold in respect of it.
2. What we collect, and where it comes from
We collect personal data only when you provide it to us or when it is necessary for a proceeding or service you have sought. Depending on the form or service, this includes:
- Filing a reference (arbitration, conciliation or mediation): names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of the parties and their counsel; particulars of the agreement and the dispute; the amount in dispute; and the documents you submit. This information is collected because it is necessary to register and administer the reference.
- Internship applications: name, date of birth, contact details, permanent and current addresses, family particulars (parents' names and occupations, siblings, family contact number), academic record, references, stay and expense arrangements in Delhi, a photograph and a curriculum vitae. Family and background particulars are collected because interns are placed in live arbitral proceedings that are confidential by law, and the Centre must satisfy itself as to every person given access to them.
- Membership and empanelment applications: personal, professional and qualification particulars as set out in the application form, including information relevant to the applicant's eligibility and standing.
- Fee payments: the case reference, payer name and payment particulars needed to issue a receipt. Card, UPI and net-banking credentials are collected and processed by our authorised payment gateways (presently ISGPay, Razorpay and Cashfree) on their own systems; DAC does not receive or store your card number, CVV, UPI PIN or banking passwords.
- Correspondence and helpdesk contact: whatever you include when you write to the Registrar, call the helpdesk or message the Centre's WhatsApp line.
- Website usage: basic technical data (such as IP address, browser type and pages visited) collected through server logs. The Centre has not deployed analytics cookies or advertising trackers, and we do not sell or trade data of any kind.
3. Why we use it
We use personal data to register and administer references; to constitute tribunals and circulate case communications among the parties, their counsel and the arbitrator, mediator or conciliator concerned; to process applications for internship, membership and empanelment; to collect fees, issue receipts and maintain accounts; to respond to enquiries; to meet legal, tax and regulatory obligations; and to maintain the security of the Centre's premises, records and website. We do not use your personal data for marketing, and we do not share it with any person for their marketing.
4. The confidentiality of proceedings
Information relating to arbitral proceedings stands on a stricter footing than this Policy alone. Under Section 42A of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, the Centre, the arbitrator and the parties are obliged to maintain the confidentiality of all arbitral proceedings except where disclosure of the award is necessary for its implementation or enforcement, or where disclosure is otherwise required by law. Case records are accessible only to the parties to the proceeding, their authorised representatives, the tribunal, and the Centre's staff whose duties require it, each bound by obligations of confidentiality. Certified copies are issued only in accordance with the Centre's published procedure.
5. Who we share it with
We share personal data only as necessary: with the arbitrator, mediator or conciliator and the opposite parties in your proceeding, as the conduct of the proceeding requires; with our payment gateways, to process a payment you initiate; with service providers who host or maintain our website and records, under obligations of confidentiality; with our auditors and professional advisers; and with public authorities where disclosure is required by law or by an order of a court or tribunal. We do not sell, rent or trade personal data, and no third party is permitted to use it for its own purposes.
6. How long we keep it
Case records are retained in accordance with the DAC Rules and for so long as required by law, including the periods relevant to the enforcement or challenge of awards. Payment and accounting records are retained as required by tax law. Internship, membership and empanelment applications are retained for six months so that candidates may be considered as opportunities arise; you may ask at any time for your application to be withdrawn and erased. Data no longer required is deleted or anonymised.
7. How we protect it
The website is served over HTTPS; payment credentials are handled only by the authorised gateways; access to case records is restricted to those whose duties require it; and the Centre maintains reasonable security safeguards, appropriate to the sensitivity of arbitral records, against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration and loss. No system is perfectly secure, and the Centre will comply with the DPDP Act's requirements regarding the intimation of any personal data breach.
8. Your rights
Subject to the DPDP Act and to the confidentiality regime governing arbitral records, you may: request access to the personal data we hold about you and a summary of how it has been processed; request correction, completion or updating of your data; request erasure of data that is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected; withdraw consent you have given (which will not affect processing already carried out, and may mean the Centre cannot provide the service concerned); nominate, in the manner prescribed, a person to exercise your rights in the event of death or incapacity; and raise a grievance regarding the handling of your data. To exercise any of these rights, write to the Grievance Officer below with sufficient detail to identify yourself and your request. We will respond within the time prescribed by law.
9. Grievance Officer
The Registrar, Delhi Arbitration Centre, 37/8, Rajpur Road, Civil Lines, Tis Hazari, Delhi – 110054 · Email: [email protected] (Attn: The Registrar — Grievance Officer) · Telephone: +91-9315100181 (Mon–Fri, 10:00–17:00). If you remain dissatisfied after our response, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India in the manner provided under the DPDP Act.
10. Children
The Centre's services are directed to parties, professionals and students of law, and are not intended for children. We do not knowingly collect the personal data of persons under 18 except where it appears in case documents filed by parties in a proceeding.
11. Changes
We may revise this Policy from time to time. The version published on this page, with its effective date, is the operative one. Material changes will be indicated by a notice on this website.